2003-02-24 01:22 UTC Letter to Kestrel
The Barony
Sunday, February 23rdDear Kestrel,
How goes the search for Kailyn? I have been trying to find more information from the Pathfinders Guild over here, but to no avail. I hope I am able to join you in Draxia soon!
Today I was forced, through lack of funds, to join the Barony Patrols once more, in an effort to track down a headless horseman. I really will have to find another way of funding my research — I nearly died today! Actually, I have you to thank for staying alive. When I was last in Draxia, you purchased some maracas. They compelled you to rattle them? You probably remember. I took them off your hands for you, so that you could keep your sanity! Well, it turns out they are actually a little Druidic! I have found that if I shake them and do a little dance, my wounds heal themselves. It is only a small effect, but today they just helped me stave off an orc attack, so I am not complaining.
It was a very eventful day — first we wiped out an orc camp, including their holyman, and then we destroyed some undead, at which point we met up with a certain Mr Crane, who claimed to be a humacti, but, as we discovered later on, was actually a necromancer. I knew there was something odd with that guy from the moment we met him, but Mathonwy ap Gwydion (you probably know him... he's one of the more competent Priests of Justice) didn't really believe me. I couldn't tell what path this so-called Humacti was from... and as you well know, I never like not being able to tell what something is!
He was very well camouflaged though, and nothing I could do could give me a hint as to his true nature. In any case, we continued on, past some centipedes, wolves and bears, and eventually reached the village of Deeply Hollow. Or something hollow, anyway. I never bother to remember the names of the places I visit while on patrols, since you can almost guarentee that there'll be nothing left if you visit it later. Actually, this party was very competent, they didn't even kill a single villager. Although G'Mord married one of them, and Vortex kept scaring the kiddies, so maybe "competent" is the wrong word, hehe.
But I'm getting ahead of myself. I tried speaking with one of the centipedes. It wasn't very successful. ☹ I guess I shouldn't expect too much intelligence from insects, however huge they may be! I didn't even bother chatting to the wolves and bears, they didn't look like they'd appreciate it. I just jumped up the nearest tree and looked on! At the village I looked around for some good equipment I could take to sell back in the city, but it seems they are quite poor over there. They did give us enough information to find a Priest who was controlling lots of undead and a Witch who kindly agreed to help us, although not without a price.
Anyway, cutting a long story short, and skipping past what I am told was an interrogation with a dead man's spirit (I unfortunately missed this incident as I was communing with my cats), the party eventually came to the conclusion that I was right all along, and that the "humacti" was actually the one who summoned the headless horseman.
Altogether, quite a harrowing experience, and more than a little disturbing. Thankfully, we returned safely, and I am looking forward to receiving my pay cheque shortly.
In the meantime, I don't know if you've heard of the activity in the Borderlands near the Barony recently — they've been sending out lots of small and relatively inexperienced parties to investigate some strange happenings. Some of my Weather Druid friends think it's the usual elementalist fuss... they say that the equilibrium has finally been disrupted enough that a storm has formed.
I don't buy it myself. But who knows. Anyway. I hope this letter reaches you well, and hope we meet again soon,
Yours in friendship,
Hunter
Eric Chasseur
PS. I hope my spelling has improved — I finally got myself a dictionary! –E.C.